The search continues for a Delray Beach woman missing at sea in the Bahamas.
The U.S. Coast Guard says they have searched over 5,200 hundred square miles since Isabella Hellmann went missing around 1:30 Monday morning.
She recently married, and was on a 37-foot catamaran with her husband, Lewis Bennett. Bennett says he was asleep, while his wife was watching on the deck, when the boat hit something.
Bennett says Hellmann was wearing a life jacket, but we don't know if there was a global positioning device attached, that could pinpoint her location.
This sad situation is a good reminder for what safety tools are out there in a time of crisis.
There are three must haves if you are going out boating that you should bring with you: a life jacket, throw cushion, and an EPIRB or Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon.
It can send rescuers your location automatically once it senses you have taken on water.
EPIRBs can narrow down your location within 50 meters via satellite.
It will update your location about every 5 minutes for around 24 hours.
Chris Anders, the owner of the Palm Beach Boat Club, says EPIRBS have saved 20,000 people since its inception.
"It's best to have systems that automatically go off, that you don't have to deal with because you're going to be in panic mode, and you're not going to be able to do a lot of things that you thought you would be able to do," Anders says.
The personal device starts around $250 and attaches to your vest.
One more thing that will help that Steve Weagle uses is the SPOT app. It's attached to a GPS device on the boat. Every so often, it'll send signals back to your phone or computer where you're located. This way loved ones at home can follow along on your trip.
